The Palacio de las Dueñas, the residence of the Machado family during the poet's early years, represents not only a physical location but also the founding space of his literary imagination.
It is the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Sevillian poets Manuel (August 29, 1874) and Antonio Machado (July 26, 1875). The latter was honored on July 26.
His parents, Antonio Machado Álvarez (1848-1893), known as Demófilo—an anthropologist and flamenco scholar—and Ana Ruiz (1854-1939), had eight children, five of whom survived: Manuel, Antonio José, Joaquín, and Francisco.
Manuel tells Antonio: “Your poetry has no age. Mine does. Your poetry has no time; mine is a deciduous leaf.” Antonio replies: “Poetry never has an age when it is truly poetry, and yours is.” Both were right, although perhaps Manuel was more accurate in assessing the enduring influence of each on contemporary poetry.
Antonio Machado was elected a member of the RAE in 1927. In 1931, he wrote his inaugural address, "What is Poetry?", but political circumstances prevented him from reading it, although it read: "Poetry is the highest sport of intelligence, but perhaps the most superfluous." Lyric poetry dies because our inner world has become impoverished.” Manuel Machado, for his part, joined the Academy on February 19, 1938.
Manuel Machado collaborated with Antonio on plays such as The Duchess of Benamejí, Juan de Mañara, and Lola Goes to the Ports. His poetic work, with titles such as Alma, Cante Hondo, Ars Moriendi, and Phoenis, although with modernist features, is deeply marked by the folklore inherited from his father. He dedicated poems to flamenco styles (Seguiriyas, Soleariyas, Tonás, Sevillanas), his most famous composition being "Andalucía": "Cádiz, salty clarity, / Granada, hidden water that cries... / And Seville."
However, as Manuel anticipated, Antonio Machado's poetry “does not has time.” Timeless, it springs from the soul and connects with universal human sentiment, transcending places (Seville, Soria, Baeza, Paris, New York...) and eras.
Antonio Machado remains one of the most influential and beloved poets. His philosophical sayings, put in the mouth of the apocryphal heteronym Juan de Mairena – “No one is more than anyone else,” “The truth, not your truth, and come with me to seek it, keep yours for yourself” – resonated deeply with the people. His elevated poetry, masterfully popularized by Joan Manuel Serrat, has reached millions: “Walker, there is no path, / the path is made by walking”; “My childhood is memories / of a patio in Seville”; “And in the end I owe you nothing; / you owe me everything I have written”; “These blue days, this sun of my childhood” (the title that inspired Laura Hojman's magnificent documentary, *Los días*) blue); “Old thirsty olive trees.../ Dusty olive groves/ of the Andalusian countryside.”
His visionary farewell, “And when the day of the last voyage arrives,/ and the ship that will never return is about to depart,/ you will see me on board, light on luggage,/ almost naked, like the children of the sea,” continues to resonate strongly, confirming that his voice truly has no expiration date.
The exhibition 'Seville and Antonio Machado. 150th Anniversary of the Poet's Birth (1875-2025)' can be visited at the Centro Cultural Fundación Unicaja in Seville until October 31st with free admission, Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sundays and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. hours.
THE SUN PLACES awaits you in one of its luxury apartments in Seville, to witness the Machado and Seville exhibition.